73 Thy hands have made and fashioned me; give me understanding that I may learn thy commandments.
74 Those who fear thee shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in thy word.
75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.
76 Let thy steadfast love be ready to comfort me according to thy promise to thy servant. 77 Let thy mercy come to me, that I may live; for thy law is my delight.
78 Let the godless be put to shame, because they have subverted me with guile; as for me, I will meditate on thy precepts. 79 Let those who fear thee turn to me, that they may know thy testimonies.
80 May my heart be blameless in thy statutes, that I may not be put to shame!
81 My soul languishes for thy salvation; I hope in thy word. 82 My eyes fail with watching for thy promise; I ask, "When wilt thou comfort me?"
83 For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet I have not forgotten thy statutes.
84 How long must thy servant endure? When wilt thou judge those who persecute me?
85 Godless men have dug pitfalls for me, men who do not conform to thy law. 86 All thy commandments are sure; they persecute me with falsehood; help me! 87 They have almost made an end of me on earth; but I have not forsaken thy precepts.
88 In thy steadfast love spare my life, that I may keep the testimonies of thy mouth.
89 For ever, O Lord, thy word is firmly fixed in the heavens. 90 Thy faithfulness endures to all generations; thou hast established the earth, and it stands fast. 91 By thy appointment they stand this day; for all things are thy servants.
92 If thy law had not been my delight, I should have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget thy precepts; for by them thou hast given me life.
94 I am thine, save me; for I have sought thy precepts.
95 The wicked lie in wait to destroy me; but I consider thy testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection, but thy commandment is exceedingly broad.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Psalm 119:73-96
Commentary on Psalm 119:73-80
(Read Psalm 119:73-80)
God made us to serve him, and enjoy him; but by sin we have made ourselves unfit to serve him, and to enjoy him. We ought, therefore, continually to beseech him, by his Holy Spirit, to give us understanding. The comforts some have in God, should be matter of joy to others. But it is easy to own, that God's judgments are right, until it comes to be our own case. All supports under affliction must come from mercy and compassion. The mercies of God are tender mercies; the mercies of a father, the compassion of a mother to her son. They come to us when we are not able to go to them. Causeless reproach does not hurt, and should not move us. The psalmist could go on in the way of his duty, and find comfort in it. He valued the good will of saints, and was desirous to keep up his communion with them. Soundness of heart signifies sincerity in dependence on God, and devotedness to him.
Commentary on Psalm 119:81-88
(Read Psalm 119:81-88)
The psalmist sought deliverance from his sins, his foes, and his fears. Hope deferred made him faint; his eyes failed by looking out for this expected salvation. But when the eyes fail, yet faith must not. His affliction was great. He was become like a leathern bottle, which, if hung up in the smoke, is dried and shrivelled up. We must ever be mindful of God's statutes. The days of the believer's mourning shall be ended; they are but for a moment, compared with eternal happiness. His enemies used craft as well as power for his ruin, in contempt of the law of God. The commandments of God are true and faithful guides in the path of peace and safety. We may best expect help from God when, like our Master, we do well and suffer for it. Wicked men may almost consume the believer upon earth, but he would sooner forsake all than forsake the word of the Lord. We should depend upon the grace of God for strength to do every good work. The surest token of God's good-will toward us, is his good work in us.
Commentary on Psalm 119:89-96
(Read Psalm 119:89-96)
The settling of God's word in heaven, is opposed to the changes and revolutions of the earth. And the engagements of God's covenant are established more firmly than the earth itself. All the creatures answer the ends of their creation: shall man, who alone is endued with reason, be the only unprofitable burden of the earth? We may make the Bible a pleasant companion at any time. But the word, without the grace of God, would not quicken us. See the best help for bad memories, namely, good affections; and though the exact words be lost, if the meaning remain, that is well. I am thine, not my own, not the world's; save me from sin, save me from ruin. The Lord will keep the man in peace, whose mind is stayed on him. It is poor perfection which one sees and end of. Such are all things in this world, which pass for perfections. The glory of man is but as the flower of the grass. The psalmist had seen the fulness of the word of God, and its sufficiency. The word of the Lord reaches to all cases, to all times. It will take us from all confidence in man, or in our own wisdom, strength, and righteousness. Thus shall we seek comfort and happiness from Christ alone.